Fuel injector control dial gauge



Sept. 14, 1948. R. w. PETERSEN FUEL INJECTOR CONTROL DIAL GAUGE Filed June 17, 1946 Inventor Robe r2 lt/Pefe nsezz Q By WWW Z9 Patented Sept. 14, 1948 iJNiTED. STATES PATENT OFFICE FUEL INJEOTUR CONTROL DIAL GAUGE.

Robert W. Petersen, San Bernardino, Calif.

Application June 1'7, 1946, Serial No. 677,303

The present invention consists of a fuel ins jector control dial gauge and more specifically pertains to a novel gauge for calibrating the adjustment of the rack control bars of the fuel injectors of Diesel engines.

It has heretofore been difficult to accurately adjust and synchronize the operation of governor controlled fuel injection pumps for Diesel engines, particularly of the type having the fuel injector mounted in a recess in the head of each cylinder, owing to the restricted clearances available and to the obstruction of the various control linkages and other equipment normally disposed adjacent and associated with such fuel pumps. This difficulty is especially pronounced in the case of \'-type Diesel engines, such as are employed as power plants in' Diesel-electric locomotives, since the inclination of the cylinder heads results in decreasing the accessibility of the fuel pump rack bars while the doubling of the number of cylinder rows or banks multiplies the amount of accessories and equipment disposed upon the engine heads.

Prior to my invention, it has been frequently necessary to reach between various mechanisms in order to obtain access to the rack bar for applying gauges thereto and making the necessary adjustments. j

In multi-cylinder oil engines, periodic adjustment of the individual fuel pumps is necessary in order that the variations in cylinder performance which customarily arise during normal engine operation may be compensated for in order to produce a uniform power output from the cylinders. Owing to the difficulties heretofore at,- tending this adjustment, the latter is frequently unduly delayed or even omitted, resulting. in damage to the engine.

It is therefore a primary object of the invene tion to provide a gauge which may be. used upon existing fuel pump control mechanisms for quickly and accurately adjusting the same despite the restricted and obstructed space in which to work same without the necessity for dismantlingparts of the engine.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a gauge which is compact, readily manipulated and clearly visible in cramped looatiima which is simple in construction and is durable dependable in operation.

These, together with other important objects which will later become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by my invention, one embodiment of which has been ilglus 45, Cla ms, (01- 1163-124).

2 trated by wayof example only in the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my gauge shown applied in operative position upon an engine;

Figure 2 is an end view of the left end of the gauge, when positioned upon the engine; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a portion of an internal combustion engine, showing the conventional fuel pumpcontrol mechanism and the manner of applying my gauge thereto.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, numeral Ill denotes in its entirety the improved gauge. An internal combustion engine which may be of any desired construction but in the embodiment chosen for illustration is preferably of V-type with a plurality of GY-Hn-r ders 1.2 having cylinder heads I4, upon which are mounted detachable fuel injector pump units [6 retained as by a yoke I 8. The injector units are mounted in recesses 20 in the cylinder head; lateral clearance being provided to permit reciprocation of the usual rack control bar 22 which is laterally and horizontally reciprocated in the injector housing to regulate thereby the fuel de livery of the injector. Adjacent its protruding end, the rack bar is connected by a fork 2'4 and pin 25 with the depending end of a lever 28, pivoted to a support 39 and connected at its other end by a link 32 to an operating arm 34 which forms part of a governor control means, not shown, for longitudinally reciprocating the rack bar 22 in order to control the fuel delivery ofthe injectors I6 and thereby the performance and power output of the engine. Suitable adjusting nuts 36 vary the effective length of link 32 and thereby control the adjustment of the rack bar 22 relative to the governor actuating arm 34.

The foregoing construction forms no part of my invention but merely refers to known and conventional types of Diesel engines now on the market and with which my invention is designed for use.

Referring first to Figure 1 of the drawings, the gauge block indicated at H] is shown as. being substantially rectangular in shape and when placed in operative position upon an enginehas its lower surface seated in' the bottom of the re.- cess as at 38' while its end surface to the leftis abutted against a wall of the injector .casingaas at 40. A semicylindrical longitudinally disposed groove or recess A2 is disposed in :one side of the block for the reception in guiding. relation of the reciprocating rack. bar 22 and it will be: noted 3 that at its right end the side portions of the block III is laterally cut away to provide a vertical surface 44 which extends in a vertical plane axially of the semi-cylindrical groove 42. A pointer indicated generally at 46 is pivoted as at 48 to the vertical shoulder or surface 44 and has a lower portion at 50 which is disposed in axial alignment with the rack bar 22 and is adapted to contact the same during the use of this device. At its other end, the pointer 46 is provided with a horizontally extending finger 52 adapted to cooperate with a scale 54 which is secured in A spring 56 is con- 4 type of engines. It is contemplated that various makes of engines will necessitate varying proportions in the block 10 and in the arrangement of the grooves 42, pointer 46 and scale 54. Accordingly, I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction shown and described, but may avail myself of all modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: 1. A gauge for adjusting control racks of fuel injection pumps, comprising a block having an end adapted to abut the housin of a fuel pump rack bar, a recess receiving the end of a rack bar,

block It in suitable position for urging the contact pin 56 of the pointer in abutting relation with the protruding extremity of the rack bar 22. engaged with the upper surface of the block Hi as by. screw threads Ell for the purpose of manipulating the gauge in the restricted confines of the cylinder head recess which seats the fuel injector unit.

The operation of my device is as follows. The governor actuating arm 34 is manipulated to its wide open position whereby the rack bar 22 will be protruded its maximum extent from the walls of the housing of the injector unit it. By proper manipulation of the handle 58 the gauge block i0 is now inserted into the cylinder head recess in such manner that the semi-cylindrical recess 42 is caused to embrace the protruding end of the rack bar 22 and the upper overhanging surface of the block I6 is disposed in overhanging relation to the yoke or' fork 2 3 which is pivoted to the rack bar 22. In this position, as shown in Figure 2, the block it and its overhanging upper horizontal surface clears the operating lever 28 which is pivoted to the pin 26 of the yoke member 24, whereby my gauge may be applied without removing or disturbing theoperative governor connections with the rack bar. By means of the handle 58, the block I0 is now pressed to the left as viewed in Figure 1 and Figure 3, until it abuts as at 40 with the lateral side surface of the injector housing it and with the spring urged contact pin 50 of the pointer 46 in engagement with the extremity of rack bar 22. In this position, the pointer 52 will assume a particular position upon the scale member 54 and by reference to the indicia thereon, the adjuster or manipulator can now obtain an indication of the rack bar setting. As will now be understood, proper ad- ,justment of the nut 36 will accordingly adjust the'position of the rack bar 22 and accordingly the delivery of the injector l6 can be properly calibrated or adjusted to any other predetermined setting of the governor actuating arm 34. Proceeding to the next cylinder of the engine, the operator will apply the gauge in the same manner indicated above and may accordingly adjust the effective length of length 32 to give the fuel pump for that cylinder the same setting upon the gauge 54 as was effected for the preceding cylinder. By this means, each of the individual fuel pump units Hi may be given the same synchronized adjustment or any desired variation thereof without the necessity for removing various engine accessories or making experimental adjustments.

Itwill be understood that the proportions and shape of the block H! are chosen and selected to give the maximum performance for a given A suitable detachable handle means 58 is a pointer pivoted to said block and having a terminal engageable by said end of a rack bar, a spring biasing said terminal towards said rack bar and a scale disposed in predetermined calibrated position relative to said pointer, said recess comprising a semi-cylindrical groove embracing the end of said rack bar protruding from said housing.

2. A gauge for adjusting control racks of fuel injection pumps, comprising a block having an end adapted to abut the housing of a fuel-pump rack bar, a recess receiving the end of a rack bar, a pointer pivoted to said block and having a terminal engageable by said end of a rack bar, a spring biasing said terminal towards said rack bar and a scale disposed in predetermined calibrated position relative to said pointer, said recess comprising a semi-cylindrical groove embracing the end of said rack bar protruding from said housing, and said terminal being disposed upon the axis of said groove;

3. A gauge for adjusting control racks of'fuel injection pumps, comprising a block having an end adapted to abut the housing of a fuel pump rack bar, a recess receiving the end of a rack bar, a pointer pivoted to said block and having a terminal engageable by said end of a rack bar, a sprin biasing said terminal towards said rack bar and a scale disposed in predetermined calibrated position relative to said pointer, said recess comprising a semi-cylindrical groove embracing the end of said rack bar protruding from said housing, said block being cut away to provide clearance for the attachment of a control yoke to said rack bar.

4. A gauge for adjusting control racks of fuel injection pumps, comprising a block having an end adapted to abut the housing of a fuel pump rack bar, a recess receiving the end of a rack bar, a pointer pivoted to said block and having a terminal engageable by said end of a rack bar, a spring biasing said terminal towards said rack bar and a scale disposed in predetermined calibrated position relative to said pointer, saidrecess comprising a semi-cylindrical groove embracing the end of said rack bar protrudingfrom said housing, said block having laterally recessed shouldersat its outer extremity upon a vertical plane axial of said groove, said pointer being pivoted to one of said laterally recessed shoulders.

5. A gauge for adjusting control racks of fuel injection pumps, comprising a block having an end adapted to abut the housing of a'fuel pump rack bar, a recess receiving the end of a rack bar, a pointer pivoted to said block and having a terminal engageable by said end of a rack bar,'a spring biasing said terminal towards said rack bar and a scale disposed in predetermined calibrated position relative to said pointer, said recess comprisin a semi-cylindrical groove em bracing the end of said rack bar protruding from said housing, said block having laterally recessed 5 6 shoulders at its outer extremity upon a vertical UNITED STATES PATENTS plane axial of said groove, said pointer being pivoted to one of said laterally recessed shoulders, Number Name Date and a handle, and said scale and handle being 888,826 Kooken May 26, 1908 both detachably secured to the upper surface of 5 ,320,192 Palmer May 25, 1943 said block. 2,378,156 Horton June 12, 1945 ROBERT W. PETERSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 file of this patent: 

